The present invention is a method and apparatus that provides an electrocardiographic system that detects faulty electrode attachments and guides a technician to insure that leads to the patient are connected in the proper order and in the correct position on the patient's skin.
An electrocardiogram (ECG) is a printed graph of the waveform generated by the cyclical activation of the heart. The ECG is a measurement of potential difference that requires at least two electrodes to be placed on a patient's skin. Conventional systems employ adhesive discs or pads having a conductive inner section that is applied directly to the patient's chest. This adhesive section is coupled to a terminal on the opposite side of the disc that faces away from the skin. A wire lead is clipped to this terminal which conveys the electrical signal to the ECG instrument.
The quality of the ECG measurement depends almost entirely upon a good connection between the patient's skin and the adhesive pad. Since ECG tests are often performed while the patient is on a moving treadmill to induce increased heart and respiratory rates, one common problem encountered by technicians performing this medical examination is an inadequate connection between the pads and the skin. This problem is especially troublesome during complex procedures involving the application of many adhesive discs. Recent advances in cardiac medicine have enabled physicians to make more accurate diagnoses of serious heart conditions. These advanced techniques involve ECG tests that require the placement of fifty or more electrodes on the person being tested. One pad among fifty that is poorly coupled to the epidermis can be difficult to isolate and may even ruin one of these complex examinations.
The problem of providing a highly reliable ECG device has presented a major challenge to designers in the health care field. The development of a straightforward method of insuring good electrical connections to the patient during an ECG examination would represent a major technological advance in the instrumentation business. The enhanced performance which could be achieved using such an innovative device would satisfy a long felt need within the medical profession.